Cloud CRM: How to Optimize Sales, Scale, and Succeed with NetHunt CRM

Originally published December 04, 2024, updated December 27, 2024

Secure, scalable, and simple — check all the benefits of NetHunt cloud CRM.

Customer satisfaction can make or break businesses. That’s why a cloud-based CRM is a tool that most companies invest in when it comes to attracting more leads and keeping customers happy.

‘But why not go with a traditional on-premises software?’ you’d ask. Well, because a good cloud CRM offers ultimate scalability and industry-standard security that are unachievable with traditional on-premises solutions. Plus, it’s really convenient as you’re not tied to the company’s office tech stack 🙂

Without further ado, let’s check out the features and benefits of a cloud CRM and see how easy it is to set up. And yes, we’ll use NetHunt CRM as our example 😉

What is cloud CRM software and how it differs from traditional solutions

A cloud CRM software is a digital solution that centralizes all company’s operations and stores their data in one place, helping businesses keep track of their customer information and interactions online. The beauty of a cloud customer relationship management CRM is that teams can access the data from anywhere with the Internet connection, which is especially valuable for global businesses.

So, what is the main difference between on-premises CRM vs cloud CRM software?

Traditional on-premise CRM requires server infrastructure and an IT specialist or team to support it. So, while you have full control over data and hardware, it requires hefty upfront investment and maintenance.

Meanwhile, you can access cloud CRM software (or SaaS CRM) on any connected device (yep, you’re not tied to the office environment). And you don’t need to invest in hardware or IT maintenance as your spending comes down to recurring subscription charges only.

6 must-have cloud-based CRM features to automate your business

Regardless of your niche, a cloud sales CRM should have these six core capabilities.

Contact management

CRMs with contact management functionality brings all your customer and partner details (phone numbers, emails, social media accounts, etc.) into one accessible cloud hub. Moreover, the best online CRM solutions can track interactions, schedule calls or meetings, and generate actionable insights.

Sales funnel management

A web-based sales CRM helps you visualize your deal progress. As a user, you can create sales pipelines that match your unique sales process and include vital details such as deal’s manager, deal closing probability, attached files, etc. You can timely identify potential bottlenecks and adjust your sales strategy accordingly.

Sales and marketing automation

An advanced cloud CRM system can take over routine tasks and free up your sales team’s time. You can set up a CRM to send emails, schedule calls, or perform other actions triggered by specific events.

Analytics and reporting

With CRM cloud applications, it’s easier to make sense of the huge volume of customer data. You can track critical metrics in real time, measure your marketing campaign success, track your sales team performance, and more.

Native integrations

A cloud-based sales CRM is just one of many business tools you can use. It would be useless without efficient integrations with email, VoIP tools, messengers, and sales apps. But please keep in mind that it’s better to opt for cloud CRM solutions that come with native integrations and don’t require third-party connectors like Zapier in order to avoid compromising your data and system security.

Data security

Along with storing all your client and sales data, CRM cloud services will also ensure data security. Common security measures include data encryption, multi-factor authentication, and role-based access control.

Benefits of cloud CRM software for businesses that want to succeed

If the toolset isn’t enough to convince you to switch from spreadsheets to cloud-based CRM software, let’s look at the benefits it can unlock for your business from day one.

Minimal upfront and maintenance costs

With cloud-based CRM solutions, you don’t need to invest in hardware or employ IT specialists to maintain on-premises software. It’s instantly ready for use after you set up a business account. The only expense to cover is the monthly subscription. Anyway, most CRMs offer flexible pricing plans to match the toolset and the number of users you need.

Reliable data security

The CRM hosted solutions take over the server-side security. They encrypt your data and use MFA and other security features to comply with local and international data security regulations. You’ll still need to train your employees, encourage strong passwords, and monitor role-based access, but you won’t have to invest as much time and resources into security as you would with an on-premises solution.

High flexibility

Cloud CRM services are inherently flexible. As your business grows, you can upgrade your plan to add new users and unlock extra features or data storage. New benefits are available immediately, and you only pay for what you use. Meanwhile, on-premises CRM solutions would require lengthy and costly hardware and software upgrades to achieve the same results.

Improved sales performance

Improving customer experience is the core benefit of a cloud-based CRM system. Thanks to sales automation and tracking capabilities, CRMs help you boost conversion rates and, in the end, increase sales numbers.

Here is why you should pick NetHunt CRM as your cloud CRM for business success

With dozens of cloud-based CRM systems on the market, the choice comes down to toolset and cost. NetHunt CRM is best suited for businesses that heavily rely on email marketing or omnichannel communication. Plus, it offers a fast and easy setup so you don’t have to invest in training as you’re already working in your familiar environment.

Here are all the benefits you get with NetHunt CRM 😉

Native Gmail and Google Workspace integration

NetHunt isn’t just a web-based CRM. It integrates into the existing software ecosystem you use daily, like Google Workspace.You can use a Chrome extension to integrate CRM tools directly into your Gmail inbox.

With NetHunt’s Google Workspace and Gmail integration, you can:

• Connect with Google Chat, Calendar, and other Google Workspace tools for a unified work experience
• Automatically create customer records from email, chats, and calls
• Link emails to CRM records
• Run bulk email campaigns and monitor their performance
• Automate follow-ups with pre-set sequences
• Access CRM records directly from Calendar events
• Attach documents to deals and customer profiles
• Import CRM data into Looker Studio for real-time reports

Multichannel lead nurturing

With NetHunt’s multiple native integrations, tracking all forms of communication is easy. As a cloud-based CRM tool, NetHunt helps you to:

• Capture and nurture leads coming from emails, website forms, popular social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook, LinkedIn, and messengers
• View the customer data and the history of interactions neatly organized in the Timeline section
• Communicate with all your leads in one place — no need to leave the system
• Set automated multichannel follow-up sequences and outbound sales campaigns

Now let’s talk more about sales automation and the freedom that comes with it.

Efficient sales automation

As a cloud-based sales CRM, NetHunt CRM is all about ultra-customizability and scalability. This means you can build a system that considers every tiny detail of your sales strategy and adapts as your business grows.

NetHunt CRM is an ultra-flexible solution that allows you to:

• Use ultra-customizable elements (folders, records, fields, pipelines) to build a workflow that suits your unique business processes
• Create ultra-customizable sales pipelines
• Set up complex automation sequences that activate whenever any field in a record is updated
• Automatically distribute leads among sales managers and assign tasks to your team members based on the deal changes
• Get your deal status automatically updated in the system

Robust and budget-friendly

Ultra-customizable, feature-rich, and budget-friendly. Unlike other CRM systems that compromise on functionality and come with high prices, NetHunt CRM offers excellent value without sacrificing essential features. For example, NetHunt’s CRM plan at $48 per user per month provides similar capabilities to the Copper CRM plan, which costs $69 per user per month.

The best part? We’ve got a free 14-day trial period, so you can decide whether NetHunt CRM is the perfect fit for your business before committing.

Getting started with NetHunt CRM

You can sign up for an account and start using the NetHunt cloud-based CRM within minutes. No hardware configuring is required.

Let’s walk through the initial steps to set up NetHunt CRM and get it ready for your first sales.

1. Create an account by signing up for NetHunt CRM.
2. Download a NetHunt CRM for Gmail extension from the Chrome Web Store. Once installed, head back to your Gmail inbox.
3. Import your data from another CRM or Google Sheets. Don’t worry, you can do it in a few clicks. Just head to the Settings section, click on Import data, and choose the source you want to import it from. If it’s the Google Sheets.you’re importing it from, then you keep in mind that you’ll have to download all your contacts in a CVS file first.

Congrats! Now you can customize your new cloud-based CRM tool in a way that suits you best.

Here are a few things we recommend you to do first:

• Invite your sales team to the workspace. You can add as many team members as your plan allows. Aside from emails, you need to specify team members’ roles. They will define the data access level and permissions within the cloud-hosted CRM. Once team members accept your invitations, they’ll have full access to NetHunt CRM according to their assigned roles.
• Set up your sales pipeline. There are five default stages (New, Presentation, Negotiating, Won, and Lost), which you can, obviously, change. Add customer details, deal values, and the likelihood of closing. Plus, we advise you to automate the deal assignment process for an organized workflow.
• Integrate your cloud CRM solution with social media platforms, messengers, and other vital tools. Don’t worry, you can do it in a few clicks right within your CRM — no need for third-party integrators.

This might all seem like a maze of confusing steps, and we feel you — working with a new tool requires some time for adjustment. That’s why we’ve got our Help Center and NetHunt Community to make the adjustment process easy. Plus, our support team is always ready to answer your burning questions. You can even get a demo session! 😉

Final thoughts

Cloud CRM solutions come with minimal upfront costs and almost no maintenance. With a quick simple subscription, you get instant scalability, data security, optimized team collaboration, and robust sales automation, all for a small price.

We offer you to start with NetHunt CRM. Why? Because it’s budget-friendly and feature-rich. It offers an easy set up and smoothly integrates with tools you already use and love.

Plus, as a cloud-based CRM software, NetHunt CRM empowers all your business processes, whether it’s lead nurturing or task management.

Need more proof? See for yourself with a 14-day free trial.

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